If you are someone who is feeling drawn to a time of solitude and silence and yet cannot begin to imagine how this could happen for you, this is your book. Ruth Haley Barton begins by writing that she did not know where to start either,and uses her learned experience toguide you into new depths in your relationship with Jesus. The book also recognizes the negative effects of being “dangerously tired,” and provides a “Practice” section at the end of each chapter that will usher you into a time of silence as you ponder the content. The book’s appendix also includes a self-help guide in the appendix for spending a personal day in solitude, and group guide for shared solitude.
Hope for the Flowers
The subtitle of this interesting book by Trina Paulus reads, “A tale — partly about life, partly about revolution and lots about hope for adults and others (including caterpillars who can read).” Though it’s not overtly Christian in content, the book does a wonderful job of exploring the futility of following the crowd and the process of transformation in our lives — the sacrifices that must be made, how we have to die to ourselves and our old way of life to make room for something new. Children will love and adults won’t miss the nuances of the evolving story.
